Cable-laying works on the second submarine link to Sicily owned by GO, due to start tomorrow, have been postponed due to unforseen circumstances, the company said this evening. The process of laying the cable between St Paul's Bay and Mazara Del Vallo, south of Palermo, will last around two weeks and the new cable system is expected to be functioning by early 2009. GO's second submarine cable will be linking Malta to Italy via the pan-European network operated by Interoute, which connects 93 cities in 22 countries across over 56,000 cable kilometres of fibre. The submarine cable project is being referred to as the GO-1 Mediterranean Cable System. The cable-laying ship that will be handling GO's second international ... Read more...

Social Policy Minister John Dalli and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) held a meeting today on the current shortage of nurses and have agreed to meet again next week. In the meantime all directives for industrial action by nurses have been suspended. Commenting on the the decision, Alternattiva Demokratika said it welcomes the beginning of a constructive dialogue between the government and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses(MUMN). Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, said, "We applaud the sign of maturity of the MUMN and Minister Dalli who have not plodded on obstinately in their path of confrontation but have decided to sit around the discussion table to tackle concrete problems existing in public health care services." "Putting ... Read more...

Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party has congratulated NGO activist Astrid Vella for being nominated for the European Trophy for Voluntary Work. AD Chaiperson Prof Arnold Cassola said:"Astrid Vella who recently won the SOS Malta Volunteer Award, is now a candidate for the European Volunteer of the Year award." "AD is proud that a civil society activist coming from an Environmental NGO, namely Flimkien ghall-Ambjent Ahjar, is being recognised for her contribution to Maltese society".

Astrid Vella, the coordinator of the environmental NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA), who was recently awarded the SOS Malta Award for Volunteering 2008, has been nominated as the Malta NGO volunteer of the year, in the European award recognizing the work of NGO volunteers. The general public are being strongly urged to cast their vote for Astrid Vella on the European award website located at www.benevolat.eu/en/vote.php.... Astrid has worked indefatigably and fearlessly to protect Malta and Gozo's heritage and environment, often around the clock, driven by concern about the uncontrolled urban and rural over-development ... Read more...

On the occasion of World Children's Day, celebrated by most countries in the world on the 20th of November, we acknowledge and give precedence to the important steps taken years ago on this day, through the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of the Child in 1959, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. It is a day whereby the welfare and happiness of the child is given marked attention, through the promotion of the fundamental rights which are due to every child in the world. The date marks a significant milestone in the recognition of the rights of the Child, and was given due significance by Malta ... Read more...

NGOs and Local Councils in Gozo are invited to an information meeting on Saturday, the 29th of November 2008, at the Ministry for Gozo Hall (St Francis Square, Victoria) organized by EUPA (the national European Union Programmes Agency) in collaboration with EU Programmes Information Unit (Gozo Ministry) and Gozo NGOs Association. After the registration at 9am, and an introduction by Mr Mauro Pace Parascandalo - National Coordinator, the programme (which should be concluded with questions at about noon) continues with half-hour overviews of the various programmes by relative programme Officers: Leonardo Da Vinci, Erasmus, Grundtvig and Youth in Action. Although there is no charge for participation in this useful seminar, it would be appreciated if interest is confirmed by sending ... Read more...

Vodafone Malta and Research In Motion have announced the launch of the BlackBerry Bold™ smartphone in Malta. The BlackBerry Bold smartphone is a top-of-the-line handset that comes with tri-band support for HSDPA high-speed networks around the world and includes integrated GPS and Wi-Fi®, as well as a rich set of multimedia capabilities. Featuring a lustrous black exterior, satin chrome finished frame and stylish leather-like backplate, the BlackBerry Bold is a symbol of accomplishment and aspiration. The stunning display, sophisticated user interface and newly designed full-QWERTY keyboard make the BlackBerry Bold a 'must have'. Vodafone Malta Ltd Chief Executive Officer Inaki Berroeta commented, "Now that the BlackBerry Bold is available in the Maltese market, professionals have the opportunity ... Read more...

The Bank of Valletta has launched a new personal loan - the BOV high value motor loan. This new product by Bank of Valletta is specifically aimed at customers purchasing high value motor vehicles. The bank said that with a repayment period of up to of 7 years, the BOV high value motor loan is ideal for customers who would like to own a car costing €20,000 or over. "Buying a high value motor vehicle is an important decision that has significant financial implications. We are committed to offering our customers a unique banking experience with products that are specifically designed to fulfil their wishes," explained Alan Micallef, Head Consumer ... Read more...

The National and Regional Celebrations Committee within the Ministry for Gozo would like to inform those who may be interested, about an aid scheme being launched in connection with static or mechanical cribs exhibited during the Christmas period 2008. The cribs are to be exhibited to the general public between Saturday the 20th of December 2008 and Sunday the 4th of January 2009. The cribs (both static and mechanical) should not be less than two metres wide. The mechanical cribs should include at least four mechanical figures. All cribs will be classified by members of a jury who will visit the cribs during exhibition days. All those interested should obtain and submit ... Read more...